A widget is portable code that is installed and executed in a runtime environment without additional compilation. For example, a user may download a weather widget to their personal computer, where the weather widget may be capable of displaying a weather report whenever the personal computer is powered on. The user does not have to initiate the weather widget each time, nor does the user have to compile the weather widget for the weather widget to be operational. The user may also download another weather widget on another device, such as a mobile phone, which may display a weather report for the other device. Other types of popular widgets may display stock market reports, currency exchange reports, a slide show of user-defined photographs, the latest news headlines that include corresponding Internet links, a personal notepad, a contact list, or options to play music for Internet radio stations. Users may define preferences for their widgets, such as selecting the stocks to be displayed for the stock market reports.